


This Mortal Coil

by aidyr



Category: Hololive, Virtual Streamer Animated Characters
Genre: Epic Bromance, Explicit Language, F/F, Fluff and Angst, Hurt/Comfort, I literally don't know how to tag this story, Not Really Character Death, Time Travel, but not really, can be read as romantic or platonic, implied takamori
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-31
Updated: 2021-01-31
Packaged: 2021-03-17 23:13:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,706
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29108376
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aidyr/pseuds/aidyr
Summary: “Say… When I die, will you be the one who reaps me?”The solemn words cut through the peaceful morning air like a rusty razor blade. Calliope turned to the detective, who was carrying on as if she hadn’t just popped an extremely macabre question. Amelia looked up from her phone to meet Calli’s gaze, her stare was curious and hard for Calli to understand.Amemori one shot. Can be read as flirty platonic or as lowkey romantic.
Relationships: Mori Calliope/Watson Amelia
Comments: 6
Kudos: 108





	This Mortal Coil

“Say… When I die, will you be the one who reaps me?”

The solemn words cut through the peaceful morning air like a rusty razor blade. Calliope turned to the detective, who was carrying on as if she hadn’t just popped an extremely macabre question. Amelia looked up from her phone to meet Calli’s gaze, her stare was curious and hard for Calli to understand.

“Uh… Where the hell did _that_ come from?” The two were seated, enjoying a friendly breakfast in each other's company. Ame had called Calli (to the shinigami’s surprise) and asked if she’d like to grab a bite to eat. They were good friends by all means, but it was rare they’d spend one-on-one time together. As Ame’s question sank in, it dawned on Calli that the invite might’ve been less innocent than she initially assumed.

“I dunno.” Ame answered. Her voice was soft and carried a vague sense of melancholy. “Just something I’ve been wondering, I guess.” She idly tapped away at her phone with one hand and picked at her food with the other. “So…? Will you?”

“Uh…” Calli scratched her cheek. “Maybe? Honestly, probably not. I’m not the only reaper out there y’know.”

Watson hummed. “Yeah, I guess that makes sense.”

“Were you hoping I’d say yes?”

“Kinda.” She finally put her phone down. Her food remained largely untouched. “I guess it’d be comforting to know that the last face I see is a familiar one. Besides, who wouldn’t wanna be whisked away by a beautiful woman?” She teased.

“Watch yourself, Watson.” Calli warned. She too pushed her food aside; this conversation was gearing up to be a pressing one. “I hope you’re only asking out of curiosity, by the way.” The insinuation was there, and it left a sickening feeling in Calliope’s gut. One might think that death wouldn’t phase a being such as herself, and normally one would be correct… But this felt different.

Ame chuckled. It felt darker than it should’ve. “Yeah, yeah. Don’t worry I’m not… Yeah, don’t worry.”

“That doesn’t inspire a lot of confidence.”

“Neither will my follow-up question.”

Calliope’s eyebrows pinched together and a frown pulled at her lips. “Okay…?”

Amelia’s fingers tapped a nervous rhythm against the wooden table. She cleared her throat and a visible sense of nervousness crossed her face. “What’s the afterlife like?”

A beat. “You’re absolutely right Amelia, that inspires zero fucking confidence.”

“Told you.”

Calli took a second to sip her drink. Her throat was parched beneath the weight of their conversation, and she craved refreshment. Amongst the lull of silence, a hiccup bubbled up Ame’s throat. It was a nice, familiar sound. Calli grinned against her straw and as she swallowed, she followed suit with her own signature noise: “Guh~”

Watson snickered. “You always sound kiiinndaaa… like, hot when you do that.” Her tone was joshing and humorous, though the blushy tint in her cheeks indicated the truth in that statement.

Calliope grunted. “Y’know what bitch, maybe I _will_ reap you.” She'd sooner die than admit her heart skipped a beat.

The two shared a laugh. It was over all too soon, however. “But for real,” Ame spoke. “What’s it like?”

Calli’s expression turned conflicted. She breathed a tired breath and sat back in her chair. “I… don’t really know…”

“You don’t?” Ame tilted her head like a confused puppy. It ignited a deep-down nurturing instinct within the reaper.

“I don’t know what it’s like for humans, no.” Calli fidgeted with the sleeve of her shirt. “My kind exists within a purgatory dimension. Shinigami, devils, and the like… I’m not sure where humans go after I’ve done my job, and I don’t know what it’s like…” A pause. “Sorry…”

The detective ran a hand through her golden blonde hair. “Interesting. I guess it's like they say, one must await death to know what it entails.”

A gnawing feeling of worry clawed Calliope’s heart and turned her blood into ice. “Amelia.”

“Hm?”

“Seriously, what’s this about?” The question was quick and to the point. Calliope’s tone left no wiggle room for Ame’s silver tongue to work its magic — at least, not seamlessly. Damn if she didn’t try though.

An awkward laugh filled the space between them and Amelia went to pick up her phone once again. She eyed its screen, distantly. Calli gave the time traveler an unimpressed glare, one which pierced the very soul. “Goddamn, Calli. Your stare could kill a man.”

“I’m waiting.”

Another pause.

“Man, this place serves really good breakfast, huh?” She’d barely touched it.

“Watson, cut the shit.” She could feel her patience wearing thin. “Either fess up or I’m calling the gang and telling everyone to keep you on a leash.”

“Kinky…?” A last ditch effort to lighten the mood.

“Amelia!”

A couple of the surrounding tables turned to see what the commotion was about and Calli couldn’t care less. Amelia blushed, waving apologetically to the other patrons. When she turned back to Calli, she stopped. Something on the reaper’s face must’ve finally broken her. She rubbed her arm sheepishly. “I… Uh…” She cleared her throat. “I… fuck, okay…” She seemed to have trouble gathering her thoughts. “I… Um… I saw my own death?”

Calli faltered. “Huh?”

“Yeah…” Ame bashfully lowered her voice and looked away. “I probably could’ve said that more delicately.”

“You… Wait... When? How? Why?” Calliope sputtered, trying to make sense of the information she’d been given. 

“When? Uh, the future. How? I’m a goddamn time traveler, Calli. Why…” Amelia trailed off. “Bad luck, I guess…”

Calliope and Ame locked eyes and a palpable silence settled over them. Calli could see gears turning in the detective’s head as she waited for the shinigami to say something, _anything._ A question formed on the tip of Calli’s tongue but it felt impossible to ask. Sometimes things were better left unknown. Yet still, Ame was keen as ever.

“I can tell you wanna ask something.” She prompted.

“Maybe… But I’m also afraid of the answer.”

Ame offered a sympathetic smile. “You wanna know how far into the future this happens, right?”

“You’re a sharp one, Watson.”

“Guilty as charged.”

They both took a minute to fill their mouths with food. Breakfast was a good distraction, and perhaps both had gotten cold feet. After bites had been taken and drinks had been sipped, Calli knew she couldn’t avoid the conversation forever. She sighed, and felt a bitter emotion well up within her. “Y’know… I’m not used to being so close with mortals…”

Amelia swallowed her bite. “You haven’t had human friends before?”

“Being a reaper doesn’t leave much time for human friendships. For most of my existence, Kusotori is the only person I’ve been close to.”

“Aww,” Ame fawned. “You like her~”

Calli tried to scowl but Ame’s fond, sunshine giggle wriggled into her heart and made it impossible to stay mad. “Shut up.” She breathed, and took in the affectionate glow on Ame’s face. It made her chest ache. “Anyways… This is new for me… Knowing that the people I love will… y’know…”

“Die.”

“Yeah. Die.” Calli finished. “It… hurts.”

Amelia’s eyes grew dim. “I can imagine. Sorry I-” she avoided Calli’s gaze. “I shouldn’t… I shouldn’t have brought this up.”

Calliope shook her head. “No, no… It’s fine.” She too, looked away. “Say, Amelia…?

A hum in response.

“Can a timeline be changed?”

Like a thought-worm, nestling into her brain, an idea slowly dawned on her. Calliope Mori, an apprentice, granted, was a shinigami. She wielded power over life and death in a way few mortals could comprehend. In exchange for that ability — for that responsibility — there were strict laws in place. There were rules which needed to be followed in order to maintain a natural order. Yet there she sat, staring at a perfect reason to disobey said order.

Amelia was quick on the uptake. “Calli, I know what you’re thinking. It’s a shitty idea.”

“But—!”

“Time is fragile,” she explained. “It shouldn’t be tampered with recklessly. And while I don’t know the precise nature of the shinigami code of conduct, I know for a damn fact you’d get in _big_ trouble for interfering with death.” Her glower softened. “Calli… it’s okay…”

“NO!” Again, customers looked at the pair incredulously. This time, neither woman cared. They were wrapped up in their own dimension. They were separated from anything and everyone except each other. “Amelia H. Watson, you listen to me and you listen good. You are going to tell me when and how your future self dies, and I am going to stop it. Just this once, please, this one death… I can deal with the consequences.”

“What would the consequences be?”

“None of your business, Watson.”

“I think it's every bit my business.” She crossed her arms, leaning back in her chair. “You’re talking like this isn’t a big deal Calli, but it is. You can’t just—”

“I _can’t_ do this, I _can’t_ do that. You’re not my boss, Amelia. I’ll do what I damn well please and you're not stopping me.” A fiery sense of resolution washed over her. “I’m not allowing your untimely death.”

A moment of bittersweet finality.

Then, a single, salty tear rolled down her pale cheek and splashed against the table. Both sat across from one another, misty eyed. “Y-You’re sure…?” Amelia asked, shakily. The dam had broken and the utmost care Calli displayed for her wellbeing was enough to shake her cool, confident façade.

“I’ve never been more sure in my life.”

Amelia’s tears grew thicker, and she couldn’t contain the relief which overtook her. She shook, trembled. She sighed and tried to laugh, but her attempt was met with more tears.

“C’mere.” Calliope offered, gently.

Amelia slid out of her chair and stumbled toward the reaper. She fell inelegantly into Calli’s embrace. Her arms wrapped around Calliope’s shoulders and she buried her face into the nape of her neck. “Th-Thank you… I was scared... ”

“Of course,” Calli assured. She ignored the audience they’d amassed and didn’t mind the rude whispers. She ran her fingers through the detective’s hair and appreciated how warm her body felt. “You matter to me, Watson. I love you.”

The detective smiled. “I-I love you too…”

**Author's Note:**

> Chapter three of The Darkened Priestess is almost done being written. That fic doesn't really have a solid upload schedule and updates will pretty much happen when I feel like it... And I felt like writing an amemori fic on a whim so xcghw-
> 
> ANYWHO thanks for reading. Ame and Calli have a fun, sorta bromance-y relationship that deserves more attention from the fandom. So here ya go. Amemori hurt/comfort.
> 
> I'm gonna leave it up to the reader to decide how near in the future Ame's impending demise was, if she'd already told the others, whether or not Calli succeeds in preventing her death, and how platonic/romantic this whole exchange was. 
> 
> Till next time <33
> 
> Twitter: https://twitter.com/AShaaaaark


End file.
